A former top-level Swiss referee has been handed a seven-month suspended prison sentence and fined £1,046 (€1,200) after being convicted of secretly photographing and filming female football players in changing rooms and showers. The case, which has sent shockwaves through Austrian football, involved the man using a concealed smartphone and filming through a keyhole during his tenure as an official at SCR Altach, an Austrian football club.
Details of the Disturbing Case
The defendant, who worked at the club between 2020 and 2025, targeted around 30 players, with the youngest born in 2007 and the oldest in 1995. In addition to the suspended sentence and fine, he was ordered to pay each victim £544 (€620) in compensation. The courtroom in Feldkirch, located on the border with Switzerland, was packed with over 100 spectators, highlighting the public interest and concern surrounding the trial.
Victims' Reactions and Public Outcry
Eleni Rittman, a 25-year-old former player for SCR Altach, expressed her outrage on social media, despite not being one of the identified victims on the seized recordings. 'This leaves me speechless,' Rittman stated. 'The perpetrator was not only a top-level referee in Switzerland but also an official at Altach. And that is where he filmed players, including minors. I then ask myself, is this an appropriate punishment?'
She further questioned the deterrent effect of the sentence, noting the profound impact on the players' sense of security. 'We felt secure in our dressing room and this hurt our privacy so badly that some of us do not feel safe in public showers even now. For me this is not a strong enough signal for something that is not tolerated in our society.'
Court Proceedings and Legal Statements
During the trial, a statement from the victims was read aloud, conveying their distress: 'We are young women, partly still young girls. What has happened has pulled the rug from under our feet. For years he told us that the dressing room was our home but this home was then destroyed by someone who we thought was part of this family.' A lawyer for the victims described the case as a 'catastrophe for women's football'.
The defendant pleaded partially guilty at the outset, and his defence lawyer asserted that the photos and videos had not been shared with third parties and would be destroyed. In his final remarks, the defendant apologised to the victims, saying, 'I agree with the statements made by my lawyer, but I would still like to express my sympathy to all those affected and apologise for my actions.' The court mitigated the sentence based on his partial confession and clean criminal record.
Official Condemnation and Ongoing Legal Process
Austrian Sports Minister Michaela Schmidt labelled the alleged crimes 'disgusting' when they were first reported in October, emphasising, 'If female athletes are not even safe in their own dressing rooms because of an official then they have nothing to stand on.' Although the defendant accepted the verdict, the public prosecutor has yet to decide on whether to appeal, leaving the case potentially unresolved.
The incident has raised serious questions about safety and accountability in sports, with Daily Mail Sport reaching out to SCR Altach and the Austrian FA for comment. The outcome continues to fuel debates over the adequacy of legal responses to such violations in the football community.
